Losing Power/DCS connections on PS3 Blue Comet.

It is not because it is PS-3.  I would check that both engine rollers have continuity. Also compare it to your other engine for spacing of the rollers.  I think the problem is the rollers are hitting dead spot at the switch and stalling, or one of the rollers may have a broken wire.  G

Thanks for the reply GGG

OK, will take a look.

It has been a few months so I can't say for sure, but I have had the engine apart and I looked for any loose wires an didn't find any, but can't say I went crazy with it.

In packing it away I just pulled the cover off the tender and maybe you could tell me if its of any importance, but not that it was loose, but I did find there was one black wire tied to a few others with a wire nut that the other end was screwed to the front truck.

Is that wire of any importance?

Given the truck did not have any of those brass wipers I'm guessing its just a general ground wire.

At any rate, I did tighten the wire nuts and removed the truck and wire and scraped the paint off the screw and scraped up the connection on the truck an also polished the terminal some with a scrubber pad. But as mentioned, it all seemed good before.

But all in all, I had not checked the continuity but I will.

But just to ask or mention maybe more, really I think you hit the nail right on the head in that its hitting a dead spot.

So guess my question is, if go through all that stuff and its fine...then what can I do?

In other words, the rollers are what the rollers are...so if that is the case, any ideas on how I can solve this problem?

Is there a way for instance to add a roller to the tender?

Thanks again

Yes that is an AC ground wire.  Do a search on this forum and you will find post on how others have added a roller to the tender.  If the tender block has the hole for the roller you can buy the insulator and roller to add a pickup.   G

WBF,

Give this a try:  Make a small jumper wire and connect your outside rails on the switches you are having problems with.  I have run into outside rail continuity problems on some of the 2/3 rail steamers.  This is pretty easy to check.

Dave

Gentlemen,

   If you are talking about the RailKing Tin Plate Blue Comet 263E engine, the MTH RealTrax switches were never engineered to accommodate the original Lionel Tin Plate Trains or the MTH repro, especially at slow speeds.  If you intend to run Tin Plate trains transition in and out of 072 Command Control FasTrack switches, they work perfectly with original Lionel and MTH repro Tin Plate engines & rolling stock.  My inside oval on our Christmas layout, has no RealTrax switches for this very reason.

PCRR/Dave

Hey guys, sorry for not getting back sooner and thanks for the replies.

Thanks GGG, will take a look at this, think this is really the problem. Not sure if the trucks can take a roller, an might be tough being its got ones with the blue trucks to switch to one that would, but as you mentioned, will look more into it on the boards when I can.

The one question I have though is, I'm pretty familiar with the PS2 wiring, (least I was) and think I still have diagram. But the PS3 system is pretty different.

Has MTH released a wiring diagram for the PS3 system yet?

If not, GGG can you tell me which wire in the tender section I would tie the roller pickup wire to?

Thanks

Thanks for the reply Dave.

Am not 100% sure I understand what you are recommending, but I will say that I have all my tracks wired where both outside rails are live all completely around the layout.

If perhaps this is what you are talking about, I will check on any continuity losses among that over the switches though. In having these switches apart I know there is a lot of electronics in them (least for what one would think they would have) so could be something else to check. Only thing is though the train pretty much will do it for every switch I have, of which I have eight, and of all dif sizes from 031 to 072. So would seem odd every one has the same problem.

But will check and thanks for the info.

Nah, the train I am having issues with this on is the RailKing Imperial PS3 Blue Comet

http://www.mthtrains.com/content/30-1596-1

I don't have any tin plate trains.

Thanks

WBFLine,

    Bummer, never knew this nice P3 Blue Comet had problems running thru FT switches.

GGG is correct however, seems you might have a problem with your engine pick ups.

It does seem that these P3 engines have some bugs in them, and I have not purchased one yet, because I have seen different engines having small problems.  Try both G's & Dave's fix and see what happens.  Sure would not want to do it for every P3 engine I purchase however.

PCRR/Dave

Dave,

It does seem that these P3 engines have some bugs in them, and I have not purchased one yet, because I have seen different engines having small problems. 

Whoa there!

Other than a wrong track voltage readout, to what kind of problems are you referring?

If the board is in the tender, the 7 pin connector should have a red wire for center rail and a black wire for chassis or outer rail ground.  G

Barry,

   If you go back and reference Walts troubles with his Tin Plate Blue Comet P3 you will see what we were talking about, not trying to bad mouth MTH so please take a look at it. In fact I thought this was another P3 Tin Plate Blue Comet problem, that is why I entered the conversation.  I do not believe this has anything to due with the P3 not having a battery, my P2 engines have BCR's now, and so does the new P3, only it's built into the engine. 

PCRR/Dave

Dave,

I's not good to generalize from a specific instance. Walt's issues were with a broken mechanical part on a tinplate engine, as I recall, and was not electronic in nature or a manufacturing process defect, per se. This could have happened to any PS2, PS3 or conventional engine.

As far as PS3 in general is concerned, there were, early on, some failures of Supercapacitor circuits and, as I recall,  mention of incidents with some individual engines, which isn't all that uncommon around here, regardless of which manufacturer you'd care to single out.

The one thing that I have heard from a few people who are "in the know" is that they would wish that the wire connectors on the 40-pin diesel board were of a heavier gauge, since some people insist on disconnecting the wire harness by pulling it by the wires, rather than gently prying off the connector.

Barry,

   I am not bashing MTH I have some really nice P2 engines, I was concerned about the P3 SuperCapacitor problem, but was not going to bring it up on the forum.  Seeing that you did, I'll tell you what.  I like the Tin Plate Blue Comet and was looking around for a P2 263E Blue Comet.  Now if you promise to purchase the P3 version for the exact cost I pay for it, if there is one of these generalized problems, I will invest in the P3 version some time, instead of the time tested P2.  I do have some concerns about the P3 engines and I was not trying to generalize the problem, I was infact trying to limit what I was saying, I like my DCS P2 engines very much.

PCRR/Dave

Two of the MTH P2 trains on the 2nd level of the old layout, running perfectly together.

Dave,

I'n not certain what you're asking of me, however, I'm not in the market for any tinplate engines, be they PS2, PS3 or anything else.

Barry,

   Only teasing I know you are not into Tin Plate no matter what revision.

PCRR/Dave